Locking device for automobiles.



l. YELTON & R. C. SIRY.

LOCKING DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILES. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 26. 1917.

1 Patented July 10, 1917..

J E Q NTTED mATfi PAEN FFT UW IRA YELTON AND RAYMOND C. SIRY, 0F GRANTSLICK, KENTUCKY.

LOCKING DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILES.

weaves.

Application filed March 26, 1917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that IRA 'YELTON and RAY- MOND C. SIRY, citizens of theUnited States, residing at Grants Lick, in the county of Campbell andState of Kentucky, have. in vented certain new and useful Improvementsin Locking Devices for Automobiles, of which the following is aspecification, refer ence being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to automobile attachments, and particularly tomeans for locking automobiles to prevent their being stolen or used,without authority.

The general object of the invention is to provide a very simple, cheaplyconstructed, and easily applied device for the above stated purpose,which will prevent the steering mechanism from being used while thelocking device is in applied position, and a further object in thisconnection is to provide means for also locking the starting crank.

A further object is to provide a device of this character so constructedthat it does not have to be removed from the machine in order to permitthe machine to be steered and operated.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure 1 is a side elevation of an automobile locking device constructedin accordance with our invention, the axle and steering rod being shownin section;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of our device;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view thereof, the member 25 and thesector gear 22 being in elevation;

Fig. 5 is a section. on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

The device, as illustrated in Fig. 2, consists of a block or a body 10having a relatively thick head 11 at one end, this head beinglongitudinally slotted parallel to the face of the body, as at 12, andthis slot being of sufiicient width to permit the connecting or steeringrod, which connects the steering knuckles, to be inserted in the slotand moved freely therein. The end of the slot 12 is closed by aremovable block 13, whose inner face is concavely rounded, as at 14,This block may be held in place in any Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July MD, 191?.

Serial No. 157,550.

suitable manner, so that it cannot be readily removed. The opposite endof the body 10 from the head 11 is longitudinally slotted as at 15, andoperating in this slot is a rack bar 16, having teeth 17 upon one face.This rack bar constitutes a plunger rod and is angularly bent, as at 18,and extends down ward, and is then again angularly bent to provide aplunger 19, which extends through a passage 20 formed in the front wallof the head 11. It will be understood that the plunger is reciprocablein the opening 20 toward and from the rear wall formed by the block 13.Formed upon the upper face of the body 10, on each side of the slot 15,are the ears 21, and mounted between these ears is a sector-gear 22having trunnions 23 which pass into the ears 21. These trunnions may beformed by a pin driven through the bearings 23 and through the member22. This sector gear 22 has an arm 24: extending radially therefrom,this arm at its extremity being formed with a laterally disposed jaw 25and a portion 26 of an opposed jaw. Pivoted to the portion 26 is asection 27, which completes the jaw opposed to the jaw 25, thisjawsection 27 being formed with a forwardly extending lug 28. This lug 28and the forward end of the jaw 25 are adapted to lie flat against eachother and are formed with transverse perforations 29, for the receptionof the hasp of a pad lock 30.

In order to attach the body 10 to the front axle of theautomobile, Iprovide the downwardly extending stud bolts 81, which may be formed withthe body 10 on each side of the slot 15, these stud bolts beingscrew-threaded at their outer ends for engagement with nuts 82, andmounted upon each pair of stud bolts is a longitudinally extending bar33 adapted to extend beneath and clamp against the under face of anaxle. The under face of the body 10 on each side of the slot is slightlyrecessed, as at 34:, to provide for engagement with the upper face ofthe axle.

It will be noted that the arm 25 is formed on its under face with a stoplug 35, which abuts against the end of the rack bar 16 when the rack baris jammed against the connecting'rod 36 and this takes the strain fromthe teeth 17 when the rack bar 16 is locked. It will also be noted fromFig. 2 that the ears 21 are cut away as at 37 in order to allow the arm24; to lie flat on the upper faceof the body 10 whenshifted rearward.

In the practical use of this invention, the block 13 is removed and the.connecting rod 36, connecting the steering knuckles of the automobile,is disposed within the slot 12. The block 13 is then replaced andengaged with the body 10. When it is desired to lock the machine, thearm 24: is rotated toward the front of the machine in a position toengage with the starting crank 37. This rotation of the arm 24: causesthe rack 16 and the plunger 19 to move rearward. and bind against theconnecting rod 36, holding this steering rod or connecting rod fromlongitudinal movement, and thus absolutely looking the steeringmechanism of the ear. Furthermore, the jaws 25 and 27 embrace thestarting crank and are locked by the padlock 30 and, under thesecircumstances, the starting crank cannot be turned to start the machine.It is to be understood that the crank is to be pushed in against thecrank shaft and turned straight down in order to lock it within the jaws26 and 27. When the device is unlocked, the arm 24 is shifted rearward,so as to lie upon the upper face of the body 10 and this retracts theplunger and releases the steering rod which may then be reeiprocatedthrough the slot 12, without difficulty. It will be seen that thisdevice makes it impossible to start the engine or .even guide the carwhen it is locked and will thus render impossible, the stealing of carsor the unauthorized use of cars. The device is very simple, can beeasily applied to any automobile of ordinary make, and is thoroughlyeffective in action.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. A lockingdevice for motor cars, comprising a body adapted to be attached to thefront axle of a motor car, the body being formed to receive the steeringrod of the car, a plunger shiftable through the body into engagementwith the steering rod to prevent its movement, and means for looking theplunger in its applied position.

2. A locking device for motor ears comprising a body operatively mountedupon the motor car, the body being formed to receive the steering rod ofthe car, a plunger shiftable through the body into ngagement with thesteering rod to ment, a sector gear operatlvely engaging the plunger toshift it and having an arm formed with jaws v adapted to embrace thecrank of an automobile, and means for looking the jaws in their closedposition.

8. A locking device for motor cars adapted to be \operatively attachedto the motor car, said body being longitudinally slotted for thereception of the steering rod and provided with a removable ,bloekelosingthe rear end of the slot, ,a plunger shifiable revent itsmovetending slot extending inward from the rear end of the body andadapted to receive the steering rod of an automobile, a block detachablyengaged in said slot and closing the rear end thereof, a plungerextendin through the forward wall of the body an into said slot, theplunger having an upwardly ,extending shank, said shank being thenextended horizontally and provided upon its upper face with gear teeth,the-forward endof the body being slotted to receive and guide theforward end o the Said shank, there being ears on each side of the slot,sector gear rotatably vmounted in said ears and engaging the teeth ofthe shank and havingla radially extending arm, .the extremityof the armbeing formed with a fixed jaw, and a pivoted jaw adapted to 'embrace thestarting crank of the automobile, and means for locking the said aws.

5. A locking device for automobiles com prising a body having atransversely extending slot extending inward from ;the rear end of thebody and adapted ;to receive the steering rod of an automobile, ,ablock.

detachably engaged in the slot and closing the rear end thereof, aplunger extending through the forward wall of .the body and into saidslot, he shank of the plunger being provided upon one face with gearteeth, the forward end of the body being slotted to receive and guidethe forward end of the shank, a sector gear rotatably mounted .on theforward end :Qf the body and being .provided with teeth engaging theshankand having a radially extending 7 arm, said arm being formed with alug upon its under face adapted to abut against the forward end of thebody when the arm is turned to a horizontal position, and clamping meansformed upon the forward end 0 the .a m-

6. A locking device for automobiles com prising abody adapted to beattached to the frontaXle of a motor carand formed to receive thesteering rod of the car, a plunger shiftable through the body intoengagement with the steering rod to prevent the movemen of the la r, anarm pi ed upon th body and operatively engaged with the plunger to causeits longitudinal movement when the arm is rotated in .one direction, andmeans carried by the for locking g ment with a n t f the automobil 7. Alocking device for automobiles comprising a body having a plurality ofpairs of downwardly extending bolts adapted to be disposed in each sideof the axle of the automobile, transversely extending clampes he s mound upon sa d b lts, said ody being formed to receive the steering rod ofa car, a plunger shiftable through the body into engagement with thesteering rod to prevent its movement, means for shifting said plunger,and means for locking the shifting means when the plunger is in itsclamping position.

8. In an automobile, a steering rod and a starting crank, and means forlocking the' steering rod from m 0vement and shiftable into or out ofoperativepositlon means for shifting said locking means, said last namedmeans being adapted to engage the starting crank and being lockedthereon when the first named means is shifted into engagement with thesteering rod.

In testimony whereof we hereunto afiix our signatures in the presence oftwo witnesses.

IRA YELTON. RAYMOND G. SIRY. Witnesses:

CLYDE GOsNEY, J 0s. SNYDER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Gommissioner of Eatents, Washington, D. 0."

